Improvement in thill-couplings for carriages



T. S. LAMBERT.

' Thin-Coupling.

Patented Oct. 20, 1863.

UNIT D STATES PATENT UFFICE.

THOMAS S. LAMBERT, OF PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT lN THILL-COUPLINGS FOR CARRIAGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40.345, dated October 20, 1853.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Tuos. S. LAMBERT, of Peekskill, Westchester county, New York State, have invented a new and Improved Thill-Ooupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in so fastening in the bolt that passes through the eyes of the jack and gooseneck that it is secured and at the same time easily removed and replaced, and by a method cheaper and thereby better than has ever before been done;

second, in constructing the gooseneck in such a manner that it can readily be tightened about the bolt, and thus kept from rattling; and, third, in inserting an anti-friction flexible box.

To enable those skilled in the requisite arts to use my invention and to make it, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A, Figure 1, represent the two jaws of a jack. They may be fastened to the axle by a band passing over it, as B, Fig. 1, or they may be appendages of the bar 0, passing below, or, as it may be arranged, above the axle, or they may have an appendage passing through the axle, or each jaw may have an appendage passing through the axle, as is frequently the case. In all cases the jaws must be so set, relatively to their appendages, that the weight of the caps D D will tend to cover them, as to be explained. The capsD D are so fitted to the outer surfaces of the jaws and fastened to them by the screws E or by corresponding rivets, that the weight of the caps tends to keep them in place when they are brought down so as to cover the jaws. To prevent them from falling too far, the lower edge of the jaw may be turned out, or a pin maybe inserted or a groove may be out in the outer face of the jaw and from the upper edge down a short distance, and a pin inserted in the cap. The best way is to turn out the lower edge of the jaw, which may be easily done by a coldchisel struck into the lower edge near the outer surface, when from the lower part of the inner surface of the cap a corresponding portion can be removed. Thus when the cap is pressed down to its place it will be firmly held, at the same time that by a slight effort it can be' raised. The caps may, one or both, be entire, as D, or one or both may have a slot, as in D, or there may be but one of either. If there be but one, like D, the bolt F must have a head at the corresponding end. Usuallythe hole in thejaw-to wit, its eye-will be coun tersunk, and the bolt-head thus let in even with the outer surface of thejaw. If that is not allowable, the body of the cap must be;

curved out so as to be applied to the end of the bolt head, and the arrangements to keep the cap in place are to be made at the neck. In such a cas it is not best to have the capcover more than a smallpart of the bolt-head. Such an arrangement is sometimes best where it is desirable not to have the bolt turn, as the shoulder thus formed in the cap can be made to bear against one surface of the side of the bolt-head, and thus it will be restricted from turning. If but one cap, like D, be used, it necessitates a groove in the bolt, as at G, Fig. 2, in order that the slot in the cap may be of use, but the cap, like D, of course,would cover a bolt-head as well. So, also, if two of D be used, as well as if they be entire, a straight bolt without head or groove may be used, or a bolt may have a head and groove, as represented at F, Fig. 2, and the head may be covered by a D or D, and the groove'fitted by the slot of a D. When the bolt has a head at one end and a groove near the other, the jaws will be prevented from spreading if at any time any side strain comes upon them. So, also, if there be two caps, like D, and two grooves, like G G. If anything further should be thought necessary to keep the caps D D in place, a spring, H, Fig. 3, can be applied to the under surface of the necks of the jaws of the jack, the ends of the spring reaching out under the necks of the caps,-as seen at I, Fig. 1. This spring is fastened by having the hole K, Fig. 3, applied over the appendage L, Fig. 1, and by being held up against the under surface of the neck of the jaws by the bar 0, Fig. 1. The necks of the jaws should be made slightly concave and the spring oppositely curved, so that when the bar 0 brings it up against the jaws around L the ends of the spring may be firmly applied to the under surfaces of the necks of the caps, as at I. j

The caps may be made of wrought or cast iron, brass, or other suitable material.

The'bolt may be made of cast or wrought W W... V

metal, may be without head or groove, or with both, or may be constructed with'two grooves or ruts, one near each end, as seen by Fig. 4, G G.

The jaws may be of wrought or cast metal. The spring may be made of ordinary handsaw plate.

M, Fig. 1,represents an ordinary solid gooseneck, with an e e drilled to receive the bolt; Fig. 5 represents a goose-neck, composed of two pieces, bolted together by the two bolts 0 and P, between which two pieces, around the bolt 0, a piece of india-rubber, leather, or other elastic material is placed. The curved portions of the pieces are not intended to quite meet at the points R B when around the bolt. Tnus, by turning the nut of the bolt 0, the elastic substance will be compressed and'the curved portions of the pieces will be brought t bear snugly upon the bolt. Thus the wear of the bolt and the goose'neck can be compens tted and rattling prevented. In addition, if

it is thought desirable, an anti-friction boxmay be inserted, as shown by S, Fig. 5, made of a thin strip of canvas or leather, smeared on its inner surface with grease or oil and black-lead; This soon becomes compact, smooth, and enduring when kept compressed against the bolt, as may be the case by the above arrangement. The goose-neck may be made of either wrought or cast material.

The above improvements may be used in other places about a carriage, and where bolts are necessary elsewhere.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- The combination of the caps D D, either or both, in combination with the bolt F, in the manner and for the purposes substantially as set forth.

- T. S. LAMBERT.

Witnesses: I

EDWARD BEBE, E. EVANS, Jr. 

